Scammers promise customers to reduce their electricity bills even though their methods are completely illegal.
Scammers pretending to be electricity suppliers are a real scourge. They often call you on your number or show up at your home, well-dressed with fake badges, and claim to offer incredible discounts on your energy bills. Their speech is well-rehearsed, and they use technical terms to appear professional. But in reality, they are trying to steal from you. Recently, one of the French energy giants was targeted by these criminals. They deliberately usurped the identity of the electricity supplier and some of its employees in order to gain the trust of their victims.
In this case, the scammers approached customers to sell them a service to partially or completely reduce the amount they had to pay for the electricity they had consumed. This service most often consisted of making changes to the electrical panel, thus distorting their electricity consumption.
The scam in question therefore targets many French people. “Enedis calls on its 37.5 million customers to protect themselves against any fraudulent practices” warns the electricity supplier in a press release dated March 6. The company alerted its customers a few months ago on its website and called for the greatest vigilance in the face of these frauds that are still circulating. Indeed, “Enedis does not carry out any commercial canvassing and does not sell any product or service that would alter the integrity of its customers’ electrical panel”The supplier also reminds that all “interventions to be carried out at a customer’s premises by Enedis are always subject to a notice of passage or an appointment previously agreed with the customer (by post or email on request), whether or not their presence at home is necessary.”
If someone offers you this type of service, be aware that it is completely illegal. This in itself constitutes energy theft, which is punishable by criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of €1 million if it is an organized scam. This is why it is important to remain vigilant, to carefully verify the identity of visitors with your official supplier, and to never share sensitive information.